


The Rebels of Mars

by Ninefoldtales



Category: Xenogenesis Series - Octavia E. Butler
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-18
Updated: 2013-02-18
Packaged: 2017-11-29 18:06:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/689913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninefoldtales/pseuds/Ninefoldtales
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The building of a new world, and a new Human civilization.<br/>No one promised it would be easy. They'll still try.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rebels of Mars

The Rebels of Mars Prologue 

 

Tate woke slowly, feeling a bit disoriented, but free of pain.  
Darkness, and quiet. As her vision adjusted, she could make out three  
people's shapes a short distance to her left.  
Her hands found the warm, smooth surface of a platform beneath her. Lo's  
living flesh, no matter how it looked. At least this time she wasn't naked or  
being interrogated by invisible strangers. 

She took a deep breath to steady herself.  
"Babe, how are you feeling?" Gabriel's voice cut through the shadows. She  
glanced toward him.  
"Like Sleeping Beauty when the prince found her," she joked feebly. "If anyone  
kissed me awake, though, I don't want to hear any complaints." 

His chuckle warmed her. "All right."  
He crossed the dimly lit room to sit next to her. 

The ooloi-- Dehkiaht-- stood a few feet away, next to Akin.  
"It's done," Dehkiaht told her. "The weakness will pass. You've been Asleep for not quite  
three weeks. It was the easiest way to handle repairing the gene; being conscious for that  
would have been...very unpleasant for you." 

When they'd reached Lo, Akin had introduced the former Phoenix resisters to Dehkiaht.  
His ooloi mate, and Tehjaht, another of Lo's ooloi, had volunteered to check the humans for any  
hidden illness or injuries. Those who went to Mars would need to be in excellent health.  
Fixing Tate's Huntington's Disease had been one of the priorities. The new colony couldn't  
have that gene passed down to their children. 

"Thank you," she told the ooloi simply. She tilted her head, studying the young Oankali.  
"I understand why Akin's doing this, but you and Tehjaht..."

"There are no construct ooloi yet. Akin would need help from at least a few of us, to  
restore the resisters' fertility as well as see to any genetic problems. For myself...  
Humans do have a right to make their own choices. Not every Oankali agrees with  
that, if it means allowing destructive behavior...but I do. Now. He's...very convincing." 

With that, they left her alone with Gabriel. Tate stretched lazily. "You been here the  
whole time?"

"As much as they'd let me. " Gabriel watched as the wall closed behind the aliens. "Akin's  
prepping a shuttle for us. From what he says, some of the other constructs--his brothers and  
sisters, and some of Leah and Wray's kids--are on Mars, building a habitat for the first group  
of Humans." 

"Building? You mean growing."

He shook his head. "Nope. Wood,stone, and metal, not Oankali plants. Else they'd have to modify  
us to be able to open and close walls there too. Which, okay, that'd work for us but what  
about our kids? There aren't going to be ooloi around to tamper with them," he added with  
a fierce grin. 

Children. It was the first time in decades Tate had let herself hope. "They really mean to let us go."

"Akin must've had to do a hell of a lot of arguing. Still. I've heard him talk with the older Oankali.  
He doesn't back down. He's a good speaker."

"Is...Has he said anything about Lilith?"

"No, and I haven't seen her. After this long, I don't think she'd pull up stakes and leave her family  
behind. " Gabe shrugged. "If you want to talk to her, I'll ask Akin if he'll pass it along. We're not  
supposed to leave the guest houses until the shuttle's ready." 

"Which is how long?" 

"Three-four more days." 

"Damn. We-elll then...might as well get some exercise while we're waiting..." She batted her eyelashes at him. 

He laughed, and rolled over, to lie on top of her, as she pulled his head down for a kiss. 

* * *

Ayre hailed Akin, as he left the section of land south of Lo that had been set aside for the  
colonists-to-be. He paused to let his sister catch up to him. She and her Oankali mates  
had been among those bringing word of the Mars colony to other resister settlements.  
"Tiej sent a message," she told him. "Another group of humans is headed to Lo. They  
say they want to go to Mars along with Tate and Gabriel's group." 

"Nearly sixty people, so far..." Akin's tentacles knotted briefly. 

"The more the better. If they're going to have a viable population...However, this group  
isn't English-speaking. They were from Asia, originally."

"What language do they speak?"

"Japanese. "

"Yori knows that language. " Akin made a mental note to have Yori Nakamura present as interpreter when  
the group arrived. "When are we expecting them?"

"Sometime tomorrow. They're rafting downriver." 

Tiikuchahk's voice, deeper now, came from behind them. "I know some Japanese, too. "

Akin was surprised. Ayre smirked. "And is that the only thing you and Yori  
are teaching one another?" 

"No. But she is still going. She's needed there, not here." Tii shrugged in resignation before  
it spoke to Dehkiaht. "One of our unmated cousins is here. Lilith and Ahajas thought that  
you might like to meet her."

Dehkiaht focused on Akin briefly. Understanding the unspoken question, Akin gestured in  
assent. They left.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Dehkiaht was bright, witty at times, and good company...but  
a part of Akin was still wary of the temptation the ooloi represented.  
He wondered sometimes if that was why their families had introduced them, in the hope  
that mating might distract Akin from pressing the Human resisters' cause as he had.  
If so, it had certainly backfired. 

He chuckled wryly. Ayre gave him a raised eyebrow, silently questioning. 

"Our elders don't know everything," was all he said. 

"I'm sure they'd rather not," his sister replied. She paused. "I wanted to ask if you'd allow me  
to accompany the first survey group to the planet's surface."

Akin started to reply, then caught himself. "It isn't for me, or any one person, to allow or deny  
that," he said finally. "If the others agree, I can't see why you shouldn't. " 

He'd started to simply say 'yes, of course'. But...No.  
For the first time, he realized what might concern the older Oankali about Human-born males.  
Oankali and constructs reached decisions by consensus, not by elevating one above the others.  
Ayre looked pleased, and some of the tension left her. 

"It should be safe enough, even with the child..." She wasn't due to give birth for another nine  
months. They'd be back on Earth well before then. 

"No. It won't be safe, but I still want to help with this beginning." Ayre nodded. "Thank you,  
brother." 

With that, the conversation ended, as they both got back to work.


End file.
